Pacific Fleet (Тихоокеанский флот in Russian, or Tikhookeanskiy flot), a part of the Soviet Navy stationed in the Pacific Ocean, which secured the Far Eastern borders of the USSR. The fleet headquarters was located at Vladivostok. Another important fleet base was at Petropavlovsk located on the Kamchatsky peninsula.

In addition, the Pacific Ocean Fleet command was also responsible for the administration and operational direction of the Indian Ocean Squadron and Soviet naval bases hosted by nations in the Indian Ocean rim.

History

In 1731, the Russians created the Military Flotilla of Okhotsk (Охотская военная флотилия, or Okhotskaya voyennaya flotiliya)(its first commander – Grigori Skornyakov-Pisarev ) for patrolling and fishery protection purposes. In 1799, 3 frigates and 3 smaller ships were sent to Okhotsk under the command of Rear-Admiral I.Fomin to form a functioning military flotilla. In 1849, Petropavlovsk-na-Kamchatke became flotilla’s principal base, which would a year later be transferred to Nikolayevsk-on-Amur and then in 1871 – to Vladivostok. In 1854, the ships of the flotilla distinguished themselves in the defense of Petropavlovsk during the Crimean war. In 1856, the Military Flotilla of Okhotsk changed its name to the Siberian Military Flotilla (Сибирская военная флотилия, or Sibirskaya voyennaya flotiliya).

At the turn of the 19th century, the flotilla was still small in numbers. Due to the gradual deterioration of the Russo-Japanese relations, the Russian government adopted a special shipbuilding program to meet the needs of the Far East region, but its execution dragged on and on. This is why they had to transfer a number of ships of the Baltic Fleet to the Pacific Ocean (see Pacific Squadrons ).

By the beginning of the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, the Russian Naval Forces in the Far East consisted of the 1st Pacific Squadron (7 battleships, 8 cruisers, 13 torpedo boats, 2 gunboats) and a number of ships from the Siberian Military Flotilla (2 cruisers, 2 mine cruisers , 12 torpedo boats and 5 gunboats) were based in Port Arthur. Other ships of the Siberian Military Flotilla (4 cruisers, 10 torpedo boats) were stationed in Vladivostok.

During the Russo-Japanese War, the sailors of the Pacific Fleet showed heroism and courage, however, most of the Russian Navy in the Pacific was destroyed.

During the Russian Revolution of 1905, the sailors of the Pacific Fleet were actively engaged in the revolutionary movement and armed revolts in Vladivostok in January of 1906 and October of 1907. During the October Revolution of 1917, the sailors of the Siberian and Amur military flotillas fought for the establishment of the Soviet authority in the Far East and against the White Army and interventionists. During the Russian Civil War, almost all of the ships of the Pacific Fleet were taken away the White Army and the Japanese. After the expulsion of the interventionists in 1922, the Soviets created the Naval Forces of the Far East (Commander – Ivan Kozhanov ) as a part of the Vladivostok unit and Amur Military Flotilla (Амурская военная флотилия, or Amurskaya voyennaya flotiliya). In 1926, they were disbanded: the Vladivostok unit had been transferred under the command of the frontier troops in the Far East and the Amur flotilla had become a flotilla of its own.

Due to the Japanese aggression in Manchuria in 1931, the Central Committee and the Soviet government decided to create the Naval Forces in the Far East on April 13, 1932. In January of 1935, they were renamed to the Pacific Fleet (commander – M.Viktorov). The creation of the fleet entailed great difficulties. The first units were formed with the small ships, delivered by railroad. In 1932, the torpedo boat squadron and 8 submarines were put into service. In 1934, the Pacific Fleet received 26 small submarines. The creation of the naval aviation and coastal artillery was underway. In 1937, they opened the Pacific Military School.

By the beginning of the World War II, the Pacific Fleet had 2 above-water ship subdivisions, 4 submarine subdivisions, 1 torpedo boat subdivision, a few squadrons of ships and patrol boats, airborne units, coastal artillery and marines.

During the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945, the Pacific Fleet was in a permanent state of alert and ready for action. At the same time, the Soviets transferred 1 flagship, 2 destroyers, and 5 submarines to the Northern Fleet (see Soviet Red Banner Northern Fleet). More than 140,000 sailors from the Pacific Fleet were incorporated in the rifle brigades and other units on the Western Front.

By August of 1945, the Pacific Fleet had already had 2 cruisers, 1 flagship, 10 destroyers, 2 torpedo boats, 19 patrol boats, 78 submarines, 10 minelayers, 52 minesweepers, 49 “MO” boats (MO stands for Малый Охотник, or “little hunter”), 204 motor torpedo boats, 1459 battle planes.

During the Manchurian Operation of 1945 , the Pacific Fleet participated in liberation of North Korea, in the South Sakhalin Operation of 1945 and the Kuril Islands Landing Operation the same year.

Awards

Thousands of sailors and officers were awarded with orders and medals for outstanding military service, more than 50 men received the title of the Hero of the Soviet Union. 18 ships and fleet units received the title of the Soviet Guards, 16 of them were awarded with the Order of the Red Banner.

On May 5, 1965, the Pacific Fleet was awarded with the Order of the Red Banner.

Commanders of the Pacific Fleet

• M.V.Viktorov (since April of 1932)
• G.P.Kireyev (since August of 1937)
• Nikolai Gerasimovich Kuznetsov (since January of 1938)
• Ivan Stepanovich Yumashev (since August of 1939)

In January of 1947, the Pacific Fleet was divided into the 5th and the 7th fleets:

5th Fleet:

• A.S.Frolov (since January of 1947)
• Nikolai Gerasimovich Kuznetsov (since February of 1950)
• Yuri Aleksandrovich Panteleyev (August, 1951 – January,1953)

7th Fleet:

• I.I.Baykov (since January of 1947)
• G.N.Kholostyakov (November, 1951 – May, 1953)

In April of 1953, the Fleets were once again combined under one command:

• Yuri Aleksandrovich Panteleyev (since January of 1953)
• V.A.Chekurov (since January of 1956)
• Vitaly Alekseyevich Fokin (since February of 1958)
• Nikolai Nikolayevich Amelko (since June of 1962)
• Nikolai Ivanovich Smirnov (since March of 1969)
• V.P.Maslov (since September of 1974)

...

• Emil Nikolayevich Spiridonov (?)
• V.V.Sidorov (?)
• Vladimir Nikolayevich Chernavin (?)

...

• Viktor Dmitriyevich Fyodorov (since December of 2001)